NEWBURYPORT — Fantasy Nail & Spa patrons were in shock Monday afternoon when masked U.S. Immigration and Enforcement agents stormed inside the Low Street business and forcibly removed an employee.
In a statement released Tuesday morning, Mayor Sean Reardon said ICE agents entered the business and detained one male employee before leaving the area.
“We have also received deeply concerning eyewitness accounts that agents entered the business with guns drawn. This was an incredibly frightening and traumatic experience for the employees and customers inside the business, as well as those who witnessed what occurred,” Reardon said.
When reached by phone, City Marshal Matthew Simons said his department was not involved with Monday’s activity. Reardon added that City Hall did not participate in any manner.
“The City of Newburyport does not condone the manner in which this operation was carried out. Federal immigration enforcement should never come at the expense of the safety and sense of security of an entire workplace or surrounding community,” Reardon said.
The raid comes three days after local police came to the salon Friday afternoon and arrested business owner Jun Qiu of Amesbury on a previous warrant. The warrant for his arrest was issued after a former employee came to the Newburyport Police Department two days earlier and accused him of threatening her with physical violence after quitting in July.
Qiu was arraigned Friday in Newburyport District Court on three counts of threatening to commit a crime and criminal harassment and was released on personal recognizance. A search of the ICE detainee locator database shows the 36-year-old Chinese national is now being held at the Wyatt Detention Center in Central Falls, Rhode Island.
Obtaining fingerprints and entering them into a national database managed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation is standard procedure during the booking process, a step which may have initiated Monday’s activity.
Neither Simons or Reardon could confirm whether Qiu was the person picked up by ICE on Monday.
Reardon went on to assure Newburyport’s immigrant population – whether they live or work within the city – that they are “valued members” of the community.
“We care about you, and you are part of what makes Newburyport the welcoming and vibrant city that it is,” Reardon said.
City Councilor Ben Harman expressed equal concern saying he was “deeply troubled” by how Monday’s raid unfolded, particularly for those who were in the business at the time.
“I’m proud to be part of a community like Newburyport that values everyone who lives and works here. Federal enforcement actions like this raise serious concerns about safety and trust, and while I can’t speak to the specifics of this situation, I believe that as a country, we should adhere to the rule of law, ensure due process is followed, and treat all people with dignity and respect,” Harman said.
ICE’s activity and actions over the last year have drawn widespread criticism across the country. In the wake of the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by ICE agents in Minneapolis in January, dozens of protestors stood outside the West Newbury home of former Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons. The killings led to massive demonstrations nationwide as well.
An email to ICE seeking comment was not returned by press time.
A day after the raid, the store was locked and empty leaving customers confused as they tried to open the door only to get back in their cars and leave.
“Just awful,” one woman said, as she drove off upon hearing of the incident with ICE the previous day.
The Daily News attempted to reach neighboring businesses such as Blink Skincare and Lash Studio, Precision Pilates, and Tiles Gone Wild on what they saw from the incident, but those available at the stores declined to comment.
Daily News reporter Matt Petry contributed to this story.